The gustatory and olfactory systems Taste and smell The gustatory and olfactory systems

Olfaction or Savour the flavour Draw 2 diagrams of a tongue and taste bud

Taste The tongue is covered with bumps called Papillae The taste receptors are here they are called Taste buds Sensory hairs can only detect chemical shapes (Tastes) if they are dissolved in saliva Taste cells are replaced every ten (10) days

There are 5 basic tastes: Sweet Salty Sour Bitter Umami Each of the taste buds can taste several different tastes but some areas of the tongue may be more sensitive to a certain taste.

The fifth taste, Umami, was more recently discovered. It is a richness of taste and is associated with fish, sushi, algae, glutamates (MSG) Savory

Draw 2 diagrams of the olfactory bulb

Olfaction Olfaction means sense of smell Chemicals which we can smell are called odorants. Smell receptors are found in the olfactory epithelium in the roof of the nasal cavity These receptor cells must be replaced every 40 to 60 days with new ones

Odorants must be water soluble and fat soluble to dissolve in the mucus that covers the smell receptors. Cilia on the receptors can detect up to 10,000 different odorants. Nerves from the olfactory epithelium pass upward s through the sieve-like bone in the skull to the olfactory bulb underneath the brain

The olfactory bulb send the message to the olfactory cortex in the base of the brain. Then onto the centers for : Memory Emotion Odor recognition Pain is a component of most smells.

Flavour Flavour Is a combination of Tastes (5) plus Smells (10,000). The odorants float up the pharynx to the nasal cavity and greatly enhance the flavour of the food. When you have a cold the thick Mucus prevents odorants from reaching the receptors. That’s why you can’t enjoy your food as well as it’s mostly taste.